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The Bluetooth VoIP Kit, HBV-100, from Sony Ericsson, is an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family over the internet. Comprised of a Bluetooth headset (HBH-PV705) and a Bluetooth USB adapter, with the kit you can get all the normal benefits of using a Bluetooth headset while making low cost internet calls.

The Bluetooth USB adapter plugs into your Windows XP PC and requires no complicated installation in order to be compatible with most software. It is pre-paired with the blue colored HBH-PV705 and the two communicate wirelessly. The headset talk time with a Bluetooth phone is up to 12 hrs, while it delivers 300 hours on standby.

There is currently no pricing or availability information.

Read [SlashPhone]

If you haven’t been following, we are in the middle of giving away tons of gadgets in celebration of our one year birthday and site redesign. We have already given away a sweet sounding iPod dock, a 1080p network media DVD player, an ultra zoom digital camera, and an super slim cellphone. For this week we are giving you four chances to win a set of Plantronics headsets. Complaints because we are going too big with this contest? (It is about 4 sets of $500 giveaways) Too bad, it’s Black Friday weekend!

What exactly can you win? How about:

• one Plantronics Pulsar 590 stereo headphones ($250)


• one Discovery 655 bluetooth headset ($150)


• and an Explorer 350 ($90) bluetooth headset for a friend

To enter: All you have to do is leave a comment, any comment. Extra points if you tell us a great Black Friday story or deal. This post will close Monday (the 27th), and then we will pick four winners at random, assuming you don’t cheat, as well as post a new giveaway!

The rules…

The Rules:

• You may only enter this contest one time


• You can only win once during the extent of the “v2 giveaway” contest, but can enter each one


• The winner will be sent a notice via email and has 72 hours to reply with their mailing address to claim their prize—make sure you use a valid email address
• You will be shipped your prize as soon as we get it into the mail, but don’t worry it’s coming

Good luck!

Inspired by, “the forces of nature and the sculptural beauty of the body,” Nokia unveiled its latest ultra-premium mobile phone, the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition. Now Nokia certainty knows how to milk a good thing with this 8800 series phone. First it won a Red Dot design award, then we reviewed the 8801 version (whatever that means), next the 8800 got blinged out, and Nokia drops a even sexier model.

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition draws its name from the powerful desert-born wind that originates in the Sahara when a warm, dry air mass collides with the cooler, maritime air of the Mediterrean. The striking organic shape of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition references the inherent strength of the human form, a concept further implied by stainless steel polished surfaces and a scratch-resistant glass display window. Like its namesake, the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition consists of two variants - light and dark, the light inspired by the hot, dry air mass, the dark by the cooler, humid one.

From the sapphire coating of the 262,000 colour display to the distinctive slide mechanism which reveal a upgraded 2 megapixel camera, or even its extended battery life, every seemingly minor detail of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition is honed to perfection. The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition also features a complementary Bluetooth headset (but we are sure that you are paying for it within the huge price tag of EUR 1000).

Plantronics held a savvy press event in New York last week. I was lucky enough to snag a ticket, drink some drinks, snap some pics, try on some new headsets, and got a few models back here in the lab for an upcoming Gadgetell review. Until then, enjoy these shots of the event and some commentary on the new headsets that will be hitting electronic and wireless stores in the near future.

In the end, all I have to say is that I had no idea that designing a headset was more than an art and some tech but a biological science--Plantronics has earned an A in my book.

The Plantronics Pulsar 590E Bluetooth Stereo Headset delivers stereo wireless freedom. Seamlessly switch between your phone conversations and your music so you’ll never miss a call. The cushioned earpieces provide comfort and the foldable headset design makes the headset portable. A retractable voice tube and omni-directional microphone allow for clearer calls. With up to 12 hours of talk time and 10 hours of listen time, you can enjoy hours of wireless listening on your stereo Bluetooth enabled mobile phone.

The Plantronics Discovery 655 Bluetooth headset is their top of the line unit that fuses technology with a sleek, ultra-light design. With Digital Signal Processing (DSP), the Plantronics Discovery 655 reduces noise levels to provide enhanced sound for clear conversations. It weighs only 9 grams, provides up to 10 hours of talk time, comes with an innovative AAA charging pocket (boosting 30 more hours), a vibrating docking station, an USB charger attachment, 3 ear gel sizes, and an ear hook that is so unnecessary because the headset is already so comfortable. It will sell for $149.99.

Based on the Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth headset, the Discovery 640E lets you stay connected with great comfort and convenience and a similar charging system to the 655. With multipoint technology, you can seamlessly switch between two Bluetooth audio devices making moving from your home, to the car, to the office extremely easy. It will sell for $119.99.

The Plantronics Explorer 330 is a affordable, lightweight headset that offers Bluetooth technology for a hands-free ticket free driving experience. The Explorer 330 headset incorporates all call features—volume, answer/end call, last-number redial, and voice-activated dialing—into one button, like its predecessor. Delivering up to eight hours of talk time, the Explorer 330 will sell for $79.99.

The Plantronics Explorer 350 is almost identical to the 340 but comes with convenient in-car accessories for charging and stowing, the Explorer 350 lets you keep your headset handy and charged while you are on the go. and in one place so you don’t have to fuss around while you are driving.

We sometimes wonder how creative Griffin can get with their iPod accessory names. The BlueTrip is not the best name, as there really is no trip involved (as of yet), but the technology and functionality is stellar.

The BlueTrip comes with a dock and a Bluetooth dongle, reminiscent of the iTrip dongle. You plug the white transmitter into the bottom of your iPod and connect the receiver to your TV or stereo system via RCA cables, an optical cable, or the headphone out (1/8”) jack. Then you go through the simple pairing process, like when pairing a Bluetooth headset to a Bluetooth phone, and wahlah you are beaming CD quality tunes up to 30 feet, through walls, windows and more to your larger than life speaker system. This same transmitter plug also allows you to sync stereo Bluetooth headphone from Motorola, Plantronics, and others for wireless listening.

For $99.99, this may be the best accessory investment you make for your iPod. Keep posted for a full hands-on review of the BlueTrip.

Read [Griffin]

We’re not really sure why you would want/need a branded Palm bluetooth headset but obviously the Palm seems to think you do. This is the second headset the company has released with it’s logo on it. This time around it is a re-branded Plantronics 645 bluetooth headset. This model has limited talk time, has been known to slip out of your ear. On a good note it will save you $40 compared to it’s non-Palm branded brother, $169 compared to the Palm $129.

Read [Gizmodo]

Using a Bluetooth wireless headset to talk on the mobile phone hands-free is how the majority of consumers are first introduced to Bluetooth technology. And this will continue to be the case – according to industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics, by 2007 Bluetooth headsets will represent the largest mobile phone accessory market. To help consumers recognize the benefits and attributes of Bluetooth headsets, the Bluetooth SIG has declared July “Bluetooth Headset Month.” The Bluetooth SIG encourages consumers to be on the lookout for the headset icon on mobile phone and headset packaging which ensures compatibility between the two devices. Consumers should also explore other ways to make calls wirelessly, such as connecting a Bluetooth headset to a PC for voice-over-IP calling.

So in case you needed a reason to purchase a Bluetooth headset or even run around outside without a phone and just your headset, don’t hesitate because July is now a true blue holiday.

Product: Jabra BT500 Bluetooth headset
Price: $199.99
Rating: Average 6.6/10
Pros: Comfortable behind the ear fit, easy handset pairing, comfortable ear gels, long talk time and standby time.
Cons: Poor outdoor connection, hard to press buttons, behind the ear headset.
Overall: The Jabra BT500 does a good job to make hands-free talking a better experience, especially when in doors. If you like the behind the ear fit then this is a good headset for you, otherwise look for other options.

Right out of the box this headset drew my attention, its cool futuristic look was like nothing I had ever seen before. The light weight comfortable feel was welcoming in my hands and the instructions on pairing the device was simple. Within a matter of minutes (after charging the headset before hand,) I was paired and chatting away. The headset fits comfortably behind your ear and although you look like a star trek character, you feel like a CEO. It has the look of a person who feels important, and hey if you get the urge to...say it, “I feel important.” At first the headset was a little loud but when I lowered the volume on both my phone, and the headset, it was a decently comfortable volume. In my opinion, Bluetooth wireless products should be used for moments when you can not use your hands. For example, driving...good time to use it, standing in an elevator...not a good time.

Read our breakdown of the Design, comfortability, and performance.

Design- 7 - With features such as call back, pairing, powering on and off, voice dialing, mute, reject call, and volume controls the headset seems to have a plethora of buttons and functionality. Unfortunately, the buttons are very hard making it hard to press while sitting on your ear. One nice feature is the charger input is a USB mini jack, allowing you to utilize both your PC as well as many of the now almost standard USB chargers out there. The BT500 provides 8 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time

Comfortability- 7 - The BT500 was built as an improvement of one of the the best headsets out there, it’s big brother the Jabra BT250. The new model is 30% slimmer and lighter than the older model and has improved talk time. We found that 30% lighter meant that we could wear it at least 30% longer without ear fatigue. The headset sits behind your ear in a very futuristic sort of way, without a large bulge. Equipped with extra ear gels, the user can alternate between his/her ear of choice and find the size for the optimum fit.

Performance - 6 - The performance was not bad for a headset but I’ve noticed that the 30 ft. range is not always perfect. Often I’ve had to keep my phone within 10 ft to hear clearly. When your outside it is a little more difficult to get good service, and for the most part people can tell the difference between the headset and being on the phone. As mentioned, the buttons are hard to press while wearing, so while the dedicated buttons are nice they are almost worthless.

Editors Note - All sub-categories were weighted equally.

Plantronics introduced the Voyager 510-USB, the first Bluetooth headset system optimized for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) that provides instant wireless connectivity to PC-based softphones. The Voyager 510-USB includes a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter that eliminates cumbersome software setup processes and enables you to place hands-free calls through any VoIP service with one easy step. In addition, Voyager 510-USB features multipoint technology to allow users to switch between multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices, including softphones and mobile phones, with the touch of a button.

The headset has noise-cancelling technology, wind-reduction, is lightweight, foldable, one-touch answer/end, voice activated dialing, usable on either ear, 6 hours of talk time, and 100 hours of standby. The Voyager 510-USB is also compatible with most popular consumer Internet telephony services, including AOL, MSN and Yahoo!.The system comes with a convenient desktop charging stand, USB charging cable, three-foot USB extension cable and AC charger.

The Voyager 510-USB has a MSRP of $199 and will be available in June 2006.

Read [Press Release]
Read [Product Page]

Nokia announced three new Bluetooth Headsets; the elegant and lightweight Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-700, the classic feature packed Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-600 and the sleek Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-300.

Weighing only 10 grams, the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-700’s simple and elegant form factor offers the ultimate in freedom and comfort when used with a compatible mobile device. With talk time of up to 6 hours and up to 160 hours of stand by time, the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-700 provides a hassle-free and long-lasting communications experience. The power button, volume control and call answering buttons make it easy to handle calls.

Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-600 is a classic, comfortable and easy to use headset that provides excellent audio quality even in noisy environments due to digital signal processing (DSP). The Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-600 has a talk time of up to 7 hours and up to 170 hours of stand by time and weighs 18 grams.

The sleek minimalist styled Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-300 is an easy-to-use wireless headset with comfortable user changeable ear loops. Weighing only 10 grams, it completes the Nokia Bluetooth headset trio with very user-friendly functionality and a feeling of simplicity. It has talk time of up to 5 hours 30 minutes and up to 150 hours of stand by time.

All headsets will be available this summer.

Read [Nokia]
Via [I4U]